FORMER WBC bantamweight king Wayne McCullough is confident Michael Conlan can dethrone Josh Warrington next year and become world featherweight champion.
Las Vegas-based McCullough, who was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame last weekend, says Conlan has the tools needed to beat ‘Leeds Warrior’ Warrington, who successfully defended his IBF belt against Carl Frampton in December last year.
“Mick is moving up the ranks and hopefully next year he steps up and fights Warrington,” said the ‘Pocket Rocket’.
“Everybody needs that test and Mick has to get it. You either pass it or fail it and I think has the talent to get through it, I really do.”
He added: “Warrington is a guy who has a good engine. He throws a lot of punches a bit like I did but he doesn’t have the same power I did. I was strong and I had 11 knockouts in my first 12 fights against and I was fighting tough Mexicans. Warrington is busy, busy, busy, busy…
“If he could punch really hard he’d be unstoppable. You have to have that bit of dynamite in your punches and Warrington is a guy who is beatable because he doesn’t have that big punch. He is very, very beatable.”
Meanwhile, McCullough expects Carl Frampton to be back in world title contention after his hand injury heals. Frampton broke a bone in his left hand in an accident last week which ruled him out of his Philadelphia match-up against Emmanuel Dominguez. ‘The Jackal’ has already been linked with a move to super-featherweight and a challenge against former US Marine, now WBO champion, Jamel Herring.
“It’s a setback for him and it’ll take a while for it to heal but he’ll be back into contention again,” said McCullough.
“It’s a setback but it’s not like he’s 50 or anything.
“Carl will be feeling really bad but he just has to get his hand fixed and while it is healing he has to keep training, he can’t sit around.
“He’ll keep training and make the other hand stronger and, if he keeps doing that then he can get back in the ring pretty quickly.”
